2/3 of Dark Souls 2 sales were in Japan according to VGchartz. 1.2 million isn't bad, but this is a unique RPG with a high degree of polish. Why is this game going nowhere near Skyrim-like numbers?

I think most developers with big budgets will look at this an example of the price of not selling out. They could have marketed and made the game more accessible and easily have doubled the numbers with just a slightly different design focus. They put so much effort in to a complicated online interaction they were just sabotaging the reward for themselves by going with the prepare to die harder motto.

The game is cool, but I feel it is stuck in a mindset that died in the west in the 90's, where the game is out to beat you. The old-school rpg's like the Bard's Tale, Might and Magic, and Wizardies seemed to take pride in the fact only a tiny fraction of players would ever win the game. These games totally suck for that, though they were the best around in other areas.